Graphic designers spend their days making a living by solving problems and dealing with clients. Preserving their work for posterity is the last thing on their minds. In the analog era there was a tendency to keep some process material, although limited storage space, clients that never returned work, and lack of good institutional homes for graphic design meant that very little of it typically survived the artist.

In theory the digital era should make preserving design process easier because less physical storage space is required, but lack of clear guidance for saving versioned files and the rapid obsolescence of digital media have actually made the situation worse.

Drawing on the collections of a new institution focused entirely on graphic design and letterform, this talk will explore the delights of process material in teaching students and inspiring designers. It will also explore the challenges of collecting and preserving it, and recommend best practices for today’s designers to preserve their work including its process.

The event is free and no registration is required. It will be held in Seminar Room 1 at the Sackler Centre for arts education.

Join the Archive’s Founder and Curator Rob Saunders for a lecture the V&A Museum as part of the London Design Festival.

More Letterform Archive at the London Design Festival

About Rob Saunders

Rob Saunders, Letterform Archive’s Curator and Publisher, is a designer, teacher, publisher, and management consultant, who has collected graphic design and letterforms for over 40 years. Rob began his career teaching at The School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and Tufts University, while serving freelance clients and agencies, before founding a book publishing enterprise that included Alphabet Press (graphic design), Picture Book Studio (children’s books), and Rabbit Ears Books (book/audio packages), which was eventually acquired by Simon & Schuster. Prior to founding Letterform Archive he served as a creative and marketing consultant with clients in the hospitality, technology, and financial industries.